On Saturday night, June 1, at the Norwich Campus of Morrisville State College, Chenango County celebrated 50 years of Dairy Promotion. During the banquet, we crowned our 50th Dairy Princess.
The evening drew a crowd of over 100 people, 2 princess candidates, and 14 dairy ambassadors. We had three judges: Marsha Cornelius (Executive Director Norwich Campus), Mike Ferrarese an attorney in Norwich and an Assistant District Attorney, Georgiana Rowe (Roweview Farms) the 2001 and 2004 Chenango County Dairy princess as well as the 2005 New York State Dairy Princess. Continue reading
Pricing farm products: An art or a science?
by Sanne Kure-Jensen
Pricing farm products can be challenging for beginning and experienced growers alike. As a farm business, correct pricing will affect sales, marketing strategies and ultimately, determine farm viability. Cooperative Extension staff and a New Hampshire farmer shared their experience with farm product pricing at the 2013 Harvest New England Ag Marketing Conference & Trade Show in Sturbridge, MA. Michael Sciabarrasi and Nada Haddad of UNH Cooperative Extension recommended pricing models and addressed market trends. Tracie Smith of Tracie Smith’s Community Farm shared her plans to adjust product pricing for the 2013 season. Continue reading
Why farmers farm
by Julia Hudyncia
Dairy farmers work hard every day to bring you fresh, great tasting, wholesome dairy products. Ninety-seven percent of all dairy farms are family-owned and are active members of their communities. Farm families take pride in feeding our world and maintaining natural resources; that means preserving land where they live and work, protecting the air and water they share with neighbors, and providing the best care for their cows-the lifeblood of their business. Continue reading
Women farmers empowered by Annie’s Project
by William McNutt
Annie’s Project was founded 10 years ago by Ruth Hambleton, the daughter of Annette Fleck, in whose honor the project of educating and enabling women to become farm managers, is named. Hambleton retired from a 30 year career as extension educator at the University of Illinois in Farm Management and Marketing. She started Annie’s Project in 2003, after a lifetime career observing the needs of farm women for information and education. In this 10th anniversary year, a national goal of starting 10 new course work projects in each state has been set. Continue reading
